Genesis
11:1-9 – The Old Testament lesson is
the story of the tower of Babel and the confusion of language. Too many
languages were confusing and construction of the great tower was stopped. There
was a loss of unity from a lack of the Holy Spirit. The people desired to build
for themselves a tower, and altar unto themselves. There was a centrifugal
power of an evil spirit at Babel – it scatters.
Under the theme for the week; “Unity through the Holy Spirit” the Old Testament lesson teaches completely
the opposite; a loss of unity from a lack of the Holy Spirit’s direction. The opening verse refers certainly to one
actual language with the same vocabulary as well as to the broader idea of
common thought or speech. Clearly the people are thinking alike, planning and
working together as they conceive of their building project designed to reach
high to God in heaven.
From our perspective the folly seems overwhelmingly evident,
but the impossibility of their task underscores the depths to which humanity
has fallen. In fact, any notion always has to stem from God who comes to us.
Although the building may seem sustainable, significant movement occurs only
when God comes to work through the Law, having decided to make sure that the people’s
attempt would fail. God confuses more than physical communication. He sets
people off on different paths intellectually so that they could never try
something like that again.
Despite the text’s obvious warning and lesson, people
still try to build towers. Today’s attempts to rally humanity man sound noble,
but when designed by people according to their own notions, they can have only
sinful roots. No matter how attractively they are packaged, they can only be
further self-centered attempts to “reach
heaven,” however they define that goal.
The story of the tower of Babel is the story of
humanity trying to play God. There would be nothing at which humanity would
stop, once they had achieved the building of their famous tower. God took care
of them rather quickly, but confusing their language so that they could no
longer understand one another. This is an interesting ancient story about the
difference of nationality and language that we accept a common place across the
earth.
[1] Holy Spirit Dove, copyright © Ed Riojas, Higher Things
[2] Collect for Pentecost, Lutheran Service Book, © 2006 Concordia Publishing House. St. Louis
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